Chapter 2: The Idol Life and a Secret Errand

Four months since debut, I’ve realized one thing.

Being an idol is an extreme job.

Complex choreography made up of dozens of dance moves.

High-level songs that demand vocal prowess.

Intricate stage movements that require perfect sync with the other members.

All of this has to be pulled off in a single performance.

Under the pressure of tens of thousands of eyes watching.

The one saving grace?

I happen to have a knack for this kind of thing.

~♪

I moved my body smoothly to the music.

I let the rhythm take over.

Thanks to my exceptional athleticism, I could nail even the most complicated choreography perfectly.

Singing was no different.

It’s not just about hitting the right notes.

I pour my emotions into every single lyric.

My natural vocal talent backs it up.

A flexible body, outstanding singing ability, and perfect pitch—these are skills I gained after the TS.

Thanks to these abilities, I secured the center position for our new song, So What?

I capped it off by delivering the finale of the song myself.

Cheers erupted from the audience.

Standing at the center of the stage, I soaked in all the praise.

“…Phew.”

Sweat dripped down my cheek.

I was out of breath, but I didn’t lose my smile.

A smiling face is an idol’s basic requirement, after all.

“Nice!”

Back at the dorm, I chugged a banana milk I’d prepared earlier.

The sweet taste filled my mouth.

It eased some of the fatigue built up in my body.

After a performance, I always drink banana milk like this.

It’s my little daily routine.

“Siyeon, let me have a sip!”

Suddenly, a pale arm wrapped around my neck from behind.

I turned to see a woman with wavy hair clinging to my shoulder.

Her name is Lee Juhee, the group’s main vocalist.

She’s the oldest member, so I call her big sister.

Though, at most, she’s only 23.

There are two others below her.

“I’m starving! The tour’s over, so how about we all go eat?”

Shin Seoa, 21, in charge of rap.

“No way there’s a restaurant open this late.”

Baek Harin, 22, in charge of dance.

The group’s vibe is generally really good.

Almost like a family, you could say.

(No, not that kind of family.)

“As expected, no shops are open this late.”

“Then should we just eat at the dorm? We can grab food from the convenience store nearby.”

“Oh! I’ve been wanting to try the samgyeopsal they sell at the convenience store.”

With today’s performance, we successfully wrapped up our tour (university festivals).

To celebrate, we planned a little party.

But there was one problem.

“…How do we get the food?”

Agency rules strictly prohibit unauthorized outings.

It’s for safety reasons, and also because a stray photo from paparazzi could cause trouble.

Especially for a rookie girl group like us, just starting to gain traction, we have to be extra careful.

Normally, we’d ask the manager to pick up stuff for us.

But in this case, that wasn’t an option.

Unauthorized eating is also against the rules.

To throw a party, we’d need to sneak food past the managers and paparazzi.

But we didn’t have a good way to do that.

“Hmm, what do we do…”

Everyone was deep in thought.

That’s when I casually raised my hand and solved the problem in one go.

“Can’t I just go?”

“Huh?”

I pulled out the glasses I’d tucked away in my pocket.

With glasses on, neither paparazzi nor managers would recognize me.

I could just go to the convenience store, buy the food, and come back.

Decision made, I got ready to head out.

Jeans, a gray hoodie, sneakers…

Just in case, I dressed as plainly as possible.

“Siyeon, are you sure you’ll be okay going alone…?”

Juhee followed me to the door with a worried look.

“Should I just come with you?”

“Then it wouldn’t be a secret outing, would it?”

“But I’m worried.”

“Don’t worry. The convenience store is literally right in front of the dorm.”

It’s just a three-minute walk.

What could possibly happen in that time?

“I’ll be back.”

Brushing it off, I left the dorm alone.

It was the dead of night outside.

All the buildings were dark, with only the streetlights quietly illuminating the road.

I started walking toward the convenience store.

How long had I been walking?

Two men suddenly stepped out from the side of the road and started talking to me.

“Hey, kid, do you live around here?”

One was holding a camera, the other a notebook and pen.

Paparazzi, by the looks of it.

I adjusted my glasses and acted natural.

“What’s up?”

“You know A Star lives around here, right?”

“Yeah, they’re… my neighbors.”

“Really!?”

The paparazzi grinned like they’d hit the jackpot.

They had no clue I was A Star’s Ruti.

Seeing that, I couldn’t help but feel a bit mischievous.

“Know anything about the members? Like where they hang out, or where they’re going? Anything’s fine.”

“Hmm… I heard something vaguely.”

“They’re celebrating the end of their tour with a team dinner tonight.”

“Oh, tonight!? Where!?”

“I think they said a bar in Yeouido.”

“Yeouido? Got it. Thanks, kid!”

The paparazzi, thrilled, rushed off.

Probably headed to Yeouido.

Hope they enjoy the fresh air.

~♪

The convenience store clerk stared blankly at his phone.

A freshly uploaded A Star fancam was playing on a VTuber stream.

‘They’re so f*cking pretty.’

Every member’s visuals were top-tier.

But the youngest, Ruti, was on another level.

Her features were like a work of art.

The highlight? A single teardrop mole on her fair skin.

Those captivating eyes paired with the mole had an almost magical effect.

You couldn’t help but lose yourself watching her.

A deadly beauty.

And on top of that, her dance and vocal skills were flawless.

How could you not become a fan?

‘That’s why I applied to work at this convenience store…’

He’d chosen this place over one near his house for one reason.

It was close to A Star’s dorm.

He’d hoped they might stop by at least once.

But that hope was thoroughly crushed.

Two months into the job, and he hadn’t seen so much as A Star’s shadow, let alone Ruti.

“Of course, someone like her wouldn’t come to a convenience store herself.”

Even if they needed something, a manager would probably come instead.

The chances of Ruti herself showing up were next to zero.

It was a foolish hope from the start.

He sighed to himself.

That’s when he noticed a silhouette outside the window.

It was dark, so he couldn’t see the face, but the outline looked like a woman.

And her proportions were impressive.

‘Her build looks just like Ruti’s…?’

Her height and overall figure were strikingly similar to Ruti’s.

He couldn’t take his eyes off the window, clinging to a sliver of hope.

Finally, the person outside opened the door and walked in.

‘Of course…’

Just an ordinary-looking girl with glasses who happened to have a similar build.

The clerk gave a bitter smile.

He felt silly for getting his hopes up and then disappointing himself.

Meanwhile, the girl wandered around the store, picking out items.

Meat, frozen food, ice cream—she filled her basket like she was preparing for a party.

But her shopping choices were… odd.

She’d pick a single item when there was a 1+1 deal.

Or choose combinations that didn’t go together at all.

Clearly, she wasn’t used to shopping at convenience stores.

She seemed to realize it herself, lingering by the shelves with a look that screamed she needed help.

‘Not my business, though.’

He tried to ignore her.

Or rather, he was about to.

Then he noticed a silver bracelet on her wrist.

It was identical to the one A Star wore during their last performance.

He’d watched that footage dozens of times, so he couldn’t have mistaken it.

A convenience store near A Star’s dorm.

A girl with glasses wearing the same bracelet as the members.

The answer came quickly.

‘She’s an A Star fan too.’

Maybe, like him, she came all this way hoping to catch a glimpse of A Star.

That thought made him feel a sense of camaraderie.

“Hey.”

“Yes?”

“If you’re looking for cheese to add to tteokbokki, the one you’re holding isn’t as good as this one.”

“Oh, really?”

“Yeah. And the item you just picked is part of a 1+1 deal.”

The clerk kindly explained each product.

The girl nodded, grabbing the items he suggested.

“Thank you.”

“It looks heavy. Can you carry all that?”

“This much is fine.”

She left the store with both hands full of bags.

Even to a guy, it looked heavy, but she managed.

The clerk watched her go, then muttered to himself.

“Should’ve asked which member she likes.”